PITTSBURGH — Hello from beautiful PNC Park, which looks spectacular as always. After staying back in D.C. last night to appear on CSN’s Baseball Show, I made the easy drive up here this morning and will be on-site the rest of the weekend.

The Nationals are trying to bounce back from a tough 3-1 loss last night, needing a win to avoid dropping to the .500 mark. They’ll need a strong start for Jordan Zimmermann, of course, but more than that they’ll need to drive in some runs off an opposing right-hander (Charlie Morton) and that has been easier said than done over the last few weeks.

Matt Williams is trying out a couple of different things tonight. Danny Espinosa takes a seat on the bench, with Anthony Rendon sliding over to second base. That opens up third base for Zach Walters to make his first start in the infield this season (and his first career start at third base). Greg Dobbs also gets the call at first base.

Well. We’re one game over .500 now and that’s without half our lineup. Do you think we won’t improve at all?

secretwasianman - May 23, 2014 at 6:29 PM

Well I think we will. But we gotta keep this thing within 3 to 4 games out. No worse. But it is looking pretty feeble right now.

Eugene in Oregon - May 23, 2014 at 3:44 PM

I listened to chunks of last night’s game on the Pirates’ radio network and the announcers were pretty much ready to send Josh Harrison to Cooperstown (not just for his play yesterday, but for his performance since his recent shift to the OF).

Forced to watch the Pirate announcers on my MLB.tv deal, they made observations about how Danny The K swinging at pitches that were way outside the strike zone.

Looking at the replay, they weren’t just borderline pitches either.

They were like Little League swings! No wonder he’s sitting tonight!

Maybe he needs glasses.

Eric - May 23, 2014 at 4:29 PM

Funny, Bob and FP were commenting on how Starling Marte ALWAYS swings, sure as the sun will rise tomorrow.

Go figure, as they’re talking about it he swings at all four of Barrett’s sliders, and all four were low and outside. One backed up just a smidge, allowing him to foul it off. Had he never swung, it would’ve been a four-pitch walk.

As far as Espi, he’s definitely regressed in a bad way, but I do think he’s showing sings of getting back on track. He got a hit against Chapman, and he hit a would be double+ that got robbed last night in his first AB. IIRC, he took some tough pitches before hitting that line out.

Joe Seamhead - May 23, 2014 at 4:52 PM

Eric, man, I always like your optimism that you put forth, but I’m not real sure about your take that you see signs of Espinosa getting back on track.In the last ten games his season BA has plunged from .243 down to .218, and he has 16 K’s in 39 AB’s.with only 2 BB’s. He has hit .128 over those 10 days. I’m bleeding for him, but man, those numbers are just bad to the bone.

letswin3 - May 23, 2014 at 5:43 PM

Yeah Eric, that track might be leading back to Syracuse when Zim returns. And if Walters takes his opportunity tonight, Danny might even be back on the bench in the meantime. Walters may still have a plate discipline question mark beside his name, but his recent AB’s have looked decent, and his defense has included a couple of compliments too. I know I’m a bit of a Walters fan, but he’s starting to look more like a ballplayer.

knoxvillenat - May 23, 2014 at 6:02 PM

I was forced to watch and listen to the Reds announcers earlier in the week and they made the same observation about Espinosa’s swinging at balls out of the k zone.

McLouth (or McOut, or McHit, or whatever he’s being called now) is quietly hitting .296 over his last 10. He was so bad in April that his numbers will never look good, but he’s been serviceable lately.

There are two schools of thought on that. One is: he’s wild, don’t help him out. The other is: he’s desperate to throw a strike, he’s going to groove one and I’m going to do damage. Neither are wrong. The key is to swing SMARTLY if you adhere to #2. I almost consider it like swinging 3-0. That’s fine, but make sure it’s your pitch. Don’t swing as bad pitches. Ramos swung at a sinker down and away. Poor AB.

He swings because he knows he will be sent to North Korea or worst if he starts taking third strikes again, which he led the world last year. So, he’s swinging at everything and occasionally and I do mean occasionally hits the ball if it’s down the middle.

senators5 - May 23, 2014 at 8:46 PM

This was obviously Espinosa I was talking about. The comment got skipped to the wrong person.

Michael Taylor with yet another homer tonight for Harrisburg. His 12th.

manassasnatsfan - May 23, 2014 at 8:51 PM

What his RISP?

manassasnatsfan - May 23, 2014 at 8:49 PM

Just a reminder Morton zero wins, and is not very good, so we will come back and win.

Nats fool - May 23, 2014 at 8:57 PM

Whoa, this team is painful to watch. These are not major league hitters, with the exception of the top 3 in the order. Too much attention to pitching. Very poor player development, and poor scouting. Blow this thing up and build like the Cards.

secretwasianman - May 23, 2014 at 9:04 PM

Walters can’t play at this level. Better with Espi. And that ain’t much

secretwasianman - May 23, 2014 at 9:06 PM

Nats fool you are no fool. That’s the most intelligent and correct thing I’ve heard in here. They suck. 2012 was an abiration. This is the real team

So, on the throw to the plate? A good aggressive team, the runner on 2nd goes to third on the throw to the plate, Ramos, or not. Or am I wrong?

Joe Seamhead - May 23, 2014 at 9:11 PM

Bases loaded, nobody out, we get one run in.Not good.

knoxvillenat - May 23, 2014 at 9:16 PM

In this case I will disagree. If the LF sees Ramos tagging maybe he hits the cutoff and the Bucs get a double play which they would gladly take and give up the run. I think holding Ramos this time was the correct play.

Joe Seamhead - May 23, 2014 at 9:20 PM

I understand your logic, but If your going to be an aggressive team there are times where you’ve got to make them show that they can make the play. I thought that this was a good time to make aggression work for you.

So we use Detwiler in a 1 run game, we use Storen down by 3. This is beyond explanation.

knoxvillenat - May 23, 2014 at 9:38 PM

Bring back Manny Acta!

Nats fool - May 23, 2014 at 9:43 PM

My real problem with this team is plate approach. The team needs players whose goal is to barrel the ball, regardless of any individual outcome. Desi is the poster boy for this. Not only is he poor defensively, he strikes out way too much, even when he is hot. There is too much emphasis on slugging. A real change on approach starts with moving Desi and Espi.

I need new glasses. I thought I saw Hairston catch 2 balls, this after hitting an SF against a righty.

Nats fool - May 23, 2014 at 10:10 PM

Actually, Starling Marte would make me even more frustrated. Both have free-swinging approaches. Strikeouts matter. Your goal as a batter is to make the best contact possible as often as possible, especially when teams are taking away the gaps. The goal should not be to run into one every 20 at bats, even if that would get you more than 20 home runs over the course of the season.

manassasnatsfan - May 23, 2014 at 10:11 PM

Bingo. There too many in baseball are like this.

manassasnatsfan - May 23, 2014 at 10:10 PM

Let’s get this started

manassasnatsfan - May 23, 2014 at 10:12 PM

Move the line boys. Don’t let this die

manassasnatsfan - May 23, 2014 at 10:13 PM

Werth just misses that. Too often this is happening.

manassasnatsfan - May 23, 2014 at 10:15 PM

Damn it don’t swing at crap Werth

manassasnatsfan - May 23, 2014 at 10:16 PM

Stays a live on low pitches then swings at one a foot or so high.

Danny - May 23, 2014 at 10:15 PM

FML

knoxvillenat - May 23, 2014 at 10:17 PM

JW swings and misses at a ball that is eye level. Not good JW.

manassasnatsfan - May 23, 2014 at 10:17 PM

Grill I way high and we want to swing

Danny - May 23, 2014 at 10:18 PM

Murphy’s law.

manassasnatsfan - May 23, 2014 at 10:18 PM

Hit far enough but wrong way

Danny - May 23, 2014 at 10:18 PM

Wilson bat was expletive ball 4

knoxvillenat - May 23, 2014 at 10:18 PM

Another swing at a high pitch out of the K zone.

manassasnatsfan - May 23, 2014 at 10:21 PM

It is part of the totally undiscpline style that Davey endorsed.

Why can’t we hit it away from the fielders. It un real this can happen so much.

No ream can be this snake bit.

manassasnatsfan - May 23, 2014 at 10:22 PM

Statistically unbelievable

manassasnatsfan - May 23, 2014 at 10:19 PM

Ball if he had not swung.

Danny - May 23, 2014 at 10:20 PM

Fuck this.. DC is cursed.

Joe Seamhead - May 23, 2014 at 10:22 PM

Why do you feel it is okay to be disrespectful to this blog and the host?

knoxvillenat - May 23, 2014 at 10:23 PM

+1

Danny - May 23, 2014 at 10:23 PM

Sorry.. Youngster who is drinking no excuse. Just frustrated for not having a winner in DC in 20 years.